The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-24
A PARAGON OF THE LAST CEN.
TURY

3D. of July, 1877, in the very year when
DIR. Cutler, as agent Of the Ohio Com
pany, bought of Congress million and a
half acres of land, and became virtually
the founder of State. On this occasion
DIR Cutler seems TO have taken pleasure
in the society of his brother Stiles and of
that gentleman's four livery agreeable"
daughters, but more in that OF young
lady else unknown to fame, but belong
ing TO family since distinguished for
intellect. This is his account Of the in
terview:
"Breaktasted at DR.. Stiless. He has
four daughters unmarried and very
agreeable. His only son il in the Law
way settled in the country. Miss Chan
ming, young lady from Newport, and
of very uncommon literary attainments,
was here on visit. She not only reads,
but speaks French, Latin and Greek
with great ease, and has furnished her
mind with general knowledge of the
whole circle of science, particularly As
tronomy and Natural Philosophy; she
likewise has high taste for the fine arts,
and discourses with great Judgment on ell
oquence, oratory, painting and sculpture,
ETC.; she is very sociable, and knows how
TO take the advantage of every incident
TO render herself agreeable and no SUBJ
ject seems to come amiss. Her style is
exceedingly correct and elegant, without
the least symptom OF af7ectation. How
highly ornamental is such an education
to q female character, when connected
with the softer graoes and politeness Of
manners" Sse Historical Magazine
for June, 1878, vol. xxi, p. 327.]
1t lis now hard to identity, with posi-
tive certainty, the lady here described
There is little doubt that she was one of
the three Misses Charming, Of Newport,
r. T., a1nts Of the celebrated divine.
One of these, Mary, was the wife Of
George Gibbs, Esq, of Newport, and the
progenitor Of the well known Gibbs fam
lily of that city. Another, Ann, was the
wife of Mr.. Woodbridge, and the mother
of William O. Woodbridge, once well
known asa teacher and author. The third
Elizabeth, died unmarried. At the time
stated (178D Mary was doubtless married,
and it was probably 10 one of the young
er daughters, who were then respectively
thirty-tour and thirty, that DIR. Cutler
gave his admiration. They all belonged
to what was already cultivated family,
for their elder brother William, bad won
distinction as lawyer, and another
brother, Henry, was clergyman of I'M
usual attainments. Even taking these
things into consideration, one is at first
disposed to suspect the Rev. Manasseh
of some exaggeration in his praises. 1t
is to be remembered on the other hand,
that the circle in which he met her was
not one in which anything superficial
would be likely TO escape exposure
President Stiles, at whose home Miss
Charming was apparently guest. was
one OF the most enlightened and accurate
scholars of his time. He was the friend
and correspondent of DIR. franklin, and
had pronounced Latin Grafton in his
honor; he taught in Yale College not
merely theology, but astronomy and
what was then called "philosophy;" he
had mastered several Oriental laugua yes,
had corresporded with the Jesuits on
the geography Of California, and with
Greek bishops on the physical conforma-
ton of Palestine. His diaries and bound
MSS. fill more than forty volumes, az
preserved at Yale College; and there was
probably no household in New England
in which an ambitious young lazy who
wished to impose herself on deluded
public would have been more promptly
unmasked. Yet it was in this ia nily
circle and no other, that DIR. Cutler en-
countered this remarkable young person
1t is very diff suit to believe, under these
circumstances, that his picture Of her is
overdrawn.
Make as much allowance as you please
for the fact that "the whole circle of sol
ence, particularly astronomy and natur-
al philosophy" was then very limited,
yet we know from the speculations OF
Franklin and Jefferson that it was in a
condition of great activity, just as more
activity is sometimes shown in the Gu
rious questionings OF Plutarch and of
Lord Bacon than in the solid knowledge
which now costs so little in comparison.
Again, allow that the fine arts then count
ed for little in America, yet it was time
when West and Copley we're in the prime
of life and Stuart and Trumbull were in
their first vigor. 1t cannot be said that
the convere alton of a young lady who
was familiar with the works of these
painters was necessarily valueless. But
it is when we consider the assertion that
Miss Charming could not only read but
speak French, Latin and Greek "with
great ease," that the surprise of the read
er is greatest, not because these accom-
plishments are more important than the
others, but because they are more defin-
itely stated, and in their combination
more unusual. Let any one who reads
this consider for moment how many
persons he or she has ever known-men
or women-who could on this precise
point take rank with this remarkable
maiden of a century ago! happen to